As is known, it is conventional to interconnect a trailer to a tow vehicle in order to transport various loads over a distance. By way of example, such loads may include snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and the like. In order to protect a load during transport, a trailer cover or canopy may be positioned on the trailer over the load.
A trailer canopy is relatively heavy in order to maintain the canopy on the trailer during the transport thereof. However, it is often desirable to gain access to the load within the canopy at intermittent time periods during transport of the trailer. Due to the weight associated with the canopy, it may be difficult to gain access to the load captured therein. Typically, the canopy must either be completely removed from the trailer, or alternatively, pivoted on one end of the trailer so as to allow access from the opposite end. While such an arrangement allows access to the portion of the load at one end of the trailer, it may be difficult or impossible to access the opposite end of the load since that portion of the load may still be partially or completely covered by the canopy.
In order to overcome such limitations in the art, mounting arrangements have been developed which allowed for the canopy to be tilted on the trailer toward the front and also toward the rear of the trailer thereby allowing access to the load at either the rear and the front of the trailer, respectively. By way of example, Christensen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,074 discloses a trailer cover arm for assisting in the opening of a trailer cover or canopy and supporting the canopy in an open position. The arm assembly disclosed in the Christensen '074 patent includes four elongated members interconnected to form a parallelogram shape. First and second elongated gas springs are placed within the parallelogram member to assist an operator in the opening and supporting of the canopy in the open position. While functional for its intended purpose, such an arm assembly requires numerous parts and may be time consuming to assemble. Consequently, it is highly desirable to provide a support structure for a canopy of a trailer which allows for "two-way" pivoting of the canopy on the trailer and which is less expensive to manufacture.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a support structure for a canopy of a trailer which is constructed from fewer components than prior support structures.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a support structure for a canopy of a trailer which allows the canopy to be tilted toward the front and also toward the rear of the trailer.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a canopy for a trailer which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.